Although more than a thousand scenic spots have offered discounts, reporters found that the extent of the discounts varies significantly. Even after the price cuts, most well-known scenic spots still remain at a relatively high level of over “100 yuan.” In response, Han Dahei, a travel guide expert from Mafengwo, pointed out that some famous scenic spots have very large visitor volumes and do not need to rely on price cuts to attract tourists, while smaller scenic spots are more eager to take advantage of the May Day holiday preferential policies to gain more visitors and build up their visibility.
According to the NDRC’s list of discounted prices, some scenic spots saw reductions of over 50%, such as the Beijing Chinese Culture Park and the Inner Mongolia Arxan Chaihe Tourist Area. A small number of scenic spots even offered free entry during the May Day holiday, such as the Nanming Mountain Scenic Spot in Lishui and the Yueyang Tower in Hunan. Of course, the majority of scenic spots had discounts of no more than 20%, especially the well-known ones, which mostly saw reductions of around 20%. For example, Huangshan’s original ticket price was 230 yuan, reduced to 184 yuan during the May Day holiday—a 20% discount; Sichuan’s Mount Emei originally charged 185 yuan, which was reduced to 165 yuan, a mere 10.8% discount. Additionally, popular attractions such as Tibet’s Potala Palace were not included in this round of discounts.
Travel guide experts from Mafengwo suggest that tourists should avoid the “overcrowded” famous scenic spots during holidays. Aside from those who plan long trips by taking extra leave, it may be a good idea to choose nearby discounted scenic spots. Before setting off, travelers can browse travel notes and information online to get a better understanding of the scenic areas in advance. Han Dahei believes that some lesser-known scenic spots actually offer scenery comparable to famous ones, but due to reasons such as later development, they remain unknown—and could be the best choice for travelers.
Han Dahei also pointed out that in reality, a scenic spot serves as a central landmark within a region and can drive income for other surrounding industries. For many scenic areas, offering ticket discounts can boost other aspects of tourism revenue—an intelligent move. However, with the surge in visitors during holidays, how to manage reception and improve surrounding facilities remains a challenge for many scenic spots, especially less-developed or newly established ones. This is not only the responsibility of the local scenic area operators, but also of the local government. Failing to address these issues means ticket discounts won’t earn a good reputation, and in the long run, will not benefit the development of local tourism.